Before the Beginning
by cphfairies
Summary: The story of Lily's experience at Hogwarts, starting from Day 1.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone!**

**Goodness, it's been an awfully long time. I hope you've had a splendid start to the school year.**

**Time for a new fanfic! This one's based on Lily's years at Hogwarts. As of now, I'm not sure how I'll be spacing out time and events. **

**Let me know what you think of the first chapter! I love to hear from you!**

**All rights go to J.K. Rowling.**

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><p><em>September 1, 1971<em>

Tuney, Mummy, Daddy, and I stand on the platform. Behind them, I can see Severus and his mother pushing through to get to the train. I hug Mummy and kiss Daddy on the cheek. Then I turn to Tuney. I begin to say goodbye, but her sharp eyes flash at me.

"_Freak_," she whispers.

My eyes fill with tears. "I'm not a freak. That's a horrible thing to say."

"That's where you're going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy..." She turns her head slightly to make sure our parents don't hear her. "Weirdos, that's what you two are."

The tears spill over and I don't even bother trying to wipe them away. For a second, I consider forgetting all about Hogwarts, and Professor Dumbledore, and magic, and Severus. I just want Tuney to love me again. If I pretended that none of this had happened, maybe...

But then Mummy gives me one last hug and gently pushes me toward the door. I stand and wave goodbye as the train slowly pulls out of the station, until my family gradually becomes a dot in the distance, and then nothing at all.

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><p>The evening approaches quickly. Severus and I had met several other pupils during the trip, most of whom seemed friendly enough.<p>

"Now approaching Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the conductor announces as he passes by our compartment. I glance at Severus and then at Alice Fortescue, who had been kind enough to let us sit with her after we relocated from our original compartment.

"Are you ready?" Severus asks me with one of those smiles that only seem to appear when he's around me.

I nod, but I don't say anything.

The train lurches as it stops, and I almost fall off my seat. Alice helps me regain my balance.

"I'll meet you outside," Severus says as he hurries out the door.

Alice and I take our time as we grab our bags. "So," she says to me, "are you excited?"

"Yes," I say hesitantly, "But I'm also a bit nervous."

She smiles shyly. "Do you want to know a secret?" I nod. "I'm nervous, too. But look," She pulls a colorfully-wrapped sweet out of her coat pocket and hands it to me. "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum," she says in response to my puzzled look. "It's wonderful for curing a few nerves."

We exit the train together. "What's your family like?" Alice asks me.

"Well," I begin, "There are four of us - me, my mum, my dad, and my sister, Petunia."

Before I know it, I'm telling her everything- how Petunia and I were always close growing up, how I met Severus, what happened when I received my letter, and how it had driven some kind of wedge between my sister and me. She listens and pays attention to every word. It's so wonderful to be able to talk to another girl. Not that I don't like talking to Severus, of course, but I had always had Tuney to lean on... Perhaps some good could come out of this.

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><p>We find our way over to the group of first-years who look just as nervous and scared and excited as we feel. It briefly crosses my mind that I don't know where Severus is, but I assume that he's making friends on his own. The Hogwarts gamekeeper leads us to the lake, where we divide into groups of four and five and step into boats, which row themselves across the water. As we steadily float, I can hear the other children around me whispering things like, "Billy told me to look out for the giant squid," and, "My uncle says that if I'm not in Ravenclaw, I may as well just consider myself part of a different family."<p>

Hearing this makes my stomach lurch. What if I'm not put in _any _house? What if it was all a mistake? Should I even be here?

I remember Severus telling me that I had better be in Slytherin. And then there were James Potter and Sirius Black, both of whom seemed very sure of where they were going. What will happen when I get up there? I don't have any magical background in my family. What if-

Alice puts her hand on my arm. "You okay?" she asks me.

I take a deep breath. "I'm fine," I tell her. I unwrap the gum that she gave me before we left the train and put it in my mouth. It's chewy and sugary and comforting.

The boats reach the other side of the lake and we help each other out of the boats. We are taken inside to a gathering hall and left alone. The other students begin to talk, and it gets louder and louder until it begins to echo off the walls.

Alice and I walk until we find a safe corner to hide in. We're not there for a minute before a group of boys finds us.

"Hey," the tallest says.

I look up and a strand of red hair falls into my eyes. "Hello," I say uncertainly. I look at Alice, who looks uncomfortable.

"Why don't you come hang out with us? You'd fit in well with our group." He walks over and puts his arm around my shoulders.

I stutter, frightened, not knowing what to do. "I-"

"Hey," another voice says from behind me. "Leave her alone, Mulciber."

I turn around. I have absolutely no idea who this boy is.

Mulciber looks the boy up and down and laughs. "Go back to where you came from."

One of Mulciber's friends steps up behind him and whispers something in his ear. Mulciber's eyes widen, and he lets go of me, spits at the boy, and walks away.

"Thank you," I say to the boy.

He smiles at us. "I'm Remus Lupin. Who're you?"

"I'm Lily Evans, and this is Alice Fortescue."

It wasn't like anything that I thought it would be. No one questioned the fact that I was Muggle-born. In fact, the most that anyone talked about was what House they hoped to be Sorted into, but I wasn't even worried about that anymore. It wasn't so hard to make friends.

"Hey, Remus!" someone says.

James Potter, the boy from the train earlier, comes running over to Remus. "They're about to take us inside!" He looks at me. "Hey, Lily, right?"

I nod.

"Do you wanna come sit with us?"

I remember the incident on the train, but I'm willing to forgive and forget. It's never good to hold a grudge, as I'd learned from Tuney.

"Yes, thank you."

And then Severus finally shows up.

James' hazel eyes narrow and he throws a sly look at Sirius, who had just arrived behind him. "Of course, you'll have to ditch Snivellus. We don't want greasy-haired Slytherins at _our _table."

I see the hurt in Severus' eyes and grab his hand, shaking my head.

Then Professor McGonagall begins to lead us out into the Great Hall. Alice, Severus, and I walk out together, leaving James, Sirius, and Remus behind.

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><p>"Evans, Lily!"<p>

This is the moment I have been fearing. My hands begin to sweat as I step up towards the stool. The Sorting Hat is placed on my head, and I close my eyes.

"_A strong head... Smart, too... You'd do well in Ravenclaw..._"

I swallow, not sure what to do.

_"A large heart... Bravery will overcome fear..._"

I try to calm my breathing.

"**GRYFFINDOR!"**

I open my eyes and the Sorting Hat is taken from my head. I realize that I'm smiling, and I walk down to the Gryffindor table.

Alice is sorted into Gryffindor, too, as well as James, Remus, Sirius, and other people who I have yet to meet. Severus is sorted into Slytherin, and our eyes meet for one last time that day as he sits down next to an older boy with blonde hair.

The food is amazing, and I decide with great regret that the treacle tart is even better than Mummy's.

After the feast, a prefect takes us to our common room and shows us where we'll be sleeping. Alice and I meet the other girls in our dorm: Mary MacDonald, Ceire Deskunt, and Marlene McKinnon. After we get into our nightgowns, Alice and I go to get a glass of water before going to sleep. On our way back to the dorm, we run into Remus and another boy, both of whom are clearly on the same errand that we were.

"Lily! Alice!" Remus calls. We stop, and he and his friend walk over to us. "Alice, this is Frank," he says quickly. "Could I talk to Lily for a second?"

Alice and Frank strike up a conversation like they've been friends all their lives.

"Lily," Remus begins, "I'd like to apologize for what James said about your friend."

I soften. "Thank you," I tell him, "but you don't need to apologize. It's not like you said it."

"I know, but I just want you to know that I'd still like to be friends with you, regardless of my friends' actions."

I feel myself smile. "Thank you," I say again. "I want to be friends, too."

We say good night and Alice and I walk up to the dorm room.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed chapter 1!<strong>

**If you don't mind, please leave me a comment telling me what you think.**

**Chapter 2 should be up soon!**

**~cphfairies**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back to another installment of 'Before the Beginning'!**

**I hope you're enjoying the story; I'm having a lot of fun writing and researching for it.**

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><p><em>December 22nd, 1971<em>

"Hey, Lily!"

I look up from _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _and put my quill down. Severus is trying to catch my attention.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to- that is- would you mind-"

"Spit it out, Snivellus," James Potter whispers from his table. "Or maybe we should call you _Stutterus_."

Rolling my eyes, I turn back to Severus. "What were you trying to say?"

"Would you like to eat lunch with me today?"

I nod. I'd been eating with Alice everyday and, on the occasion, Remus, when he wasn't surrounded by James and his posse. Severus had made been hanging out with Mulciber and some of his group, or at least that's what it looked like to me. They were always sneaking around, and I never really got a good idea as to what they did together.

"Oooooooh, Stutterus managed to get a lunch date!" the voice I know all too well taunts.

"Zip it, James."

"Ooh, what're you gonna do about it, Evans?"

"I'll tell Professor McGonagall that you've been sneaking out after hours."

He clutches at his heart dramatically. "You wouldn't! Oh, please, whatever shall I do?"

I open my mouth to respond, but Professor Slughorn cuts me off. "Students, at this point you should be almost finished with your essays. I'll be around to collect them."

I quickly write my name on top of my parchment and hope that I wrote enough. 16 inches ought to be plenty.

Professor Slughorn walks over to Alice's and my table and takes my essay, reading the first few lines. I watch his lips move and he smiles. "Brava, Miss Evans! A very good job indeed." He smiles at me and proceeds to James' and Peter Pettigrew's table.

The bell chimes and I gather up my books.

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><p>"Hey," Severus says as I sit down next to him at the Slytherin table.<p>

"Hello," I take a sandwich and unfold my napkin. "Have you heard at all from your family?"

His face clouds. "No." He doesn't say anything else.

"Will you be staying here for the holidays, then?"

He nods.

"Oh."

He looks up at me and his eyes meet mine. "You're leaving, I take it?"

"Well, yes. I can hardly stand the idea of not seeing my mum or dad or Petunia during Christmas."

Grunt.

"Will you write me?" I ask him.

A smile spreads across his lips. "Of course."

I smile back at him. Then Mulciber and his friend, Avery, materialize as they so often do and sit down on the other side of Severus. "Hey, Ginger," Mulciber says slyly as he winks at me. "You're far away from home, aren't you?"

I look him in the eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, _Mudbloods_ think they're so smart. It's no wonder she hangs out with filth like Remus Lupin," He laughs. "Go back to Gryffindor."

I have absolutely no idea what he just said, but something in my heart doesn't feel right.

Severus raises his voice. "Take that back!"

Mulciber laughs again. "Come on, I was just having a little fun."

"Didn't sound that way. Don't talk about Lily _or _her friends like that."

"Whatever." Mulciber stands up. "Come on, Avery, let's go."

I watch them as they walk away. I don't say anything.

"Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Are you all right?" Severus' face is full of concern.

I don't answer his question. "What does it mean? What he called me?"

He pauses. "Nothing."

"It didn't sound like nothing to me."

He doesn't respond to me, and I'm stunned and confused. The bell chimes, and I say goodbye to him as I gather my books and leave for Transfiguration.

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><p>I'm still confused by the end of the day. Remus and I walk back to the common room together after Herbology.<p>

"Lily, are you all right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been very quiet today."

I sigh. I tell him what happened at lunch that day, and I explain word-for-word what Mulciber said. "He called me a... a Mudblood, I think."

Remus gasps. "He didn't!"

"I'm quite positive that he did. What does it mean?"

He looks at the ground. "It's not very nice."

"So I gathered. Please tell me. It's worse to not know the truth."

He looks up at me. "It means exactly what it sounds like... dirty blood. That's what they call wizards and witches who are Muggle-born."

"I see."

"Don't let it get to you. I know... lots of people who have been called horrible names and looked down upon. But you're strong, Lily. Just ignore it."

We smile at each other. It's good to have a friend who you can confide in.

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><p>The next evening, Alice and I board the train for London. We can feel the excitement in the air as we travel home for the holidays.<p>

The trip flies by, and before we know it, we're at King's Cross Station. I put on my coat and hat, and hug her goodbye.

I step off the train, and suddenly I'm in Mummy's arms and I'm holding on tight. All thoughts of the previous week are forgotten as I am reunited with my family. This is the greatest Christmas gift of all.

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><p><strong>I know that this chapter was a bit short in comparison to Chapter 1, but the next one proves to be quite long.<strong>

**Please leave me a Review, I'd love to have your input!**

**Happy Holidays,**

**~cphfairies**


	3. Chapter 3

_January 5th, 1972_

"Lily! Lily Evans!"

I turn around at the train station. Marlene McKinnon from our dorm is waving at me, shaking her curly blonde hair out of her blue eyes.

"Hi, Marlee," I greet her, giving her a hug. "Have a nice holiday?"

She nods enthusiastically. "Oh, yes! It was so exciting to finally be able to talk about Hogwarts myself, instead of listening to Christopher rattle on about it. And you?"

"Well, it was wonderful, until my sister found my homework."

"Oh, no."

I laugh. "She got quite angry when she saw that I had licorice - rats' tails, really - hidden in my bedroom and wasn't sharing with her. She insisted that I give it all to her as an apology for being so greedy."

Marlee's eyes widen. "Lily, you didn't!"

"What choice did I have? She snatched them out of my pocket before I could say a word and was vomiting about twenty seconds later - after shoving all of them in her mouth."

Marlee doubles over with laughter. "Lily Evans, that is just about the best story I've ever heard. You didn't get in trouble, did you?"

"Just a bit. She told Mummy what happened and I was punished until the end of the holiday."

"But it wasn't your fault!"

I shrug. "It wasn't so bad. Seeing her reaction to the realization that she had ten rats' tails in her mouth was well worth it."

"Hey, Lily! Marlee!" Alice catches up to us.

"Hey, Al! How was your holiday?"

Marlee and Alice begin conversing about what they received for Christmas, and I smile to myself. This is wonderful, having true friends.

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><p>"Lily, look, it's snowing!"<p>

I stop in my footsteps and follow Remus back to the window. He's right: it _is _snowing.

"Oh, how beautiful!"

The sparkling white flakes fall to the ground and completely cover it, disguising Hogwarts' beautiful greenery.

"What are you looking at?"

I don't have to turn around to identify whose voice that is. Severus joins us at the window and gazes out at the snow. A smile, a real, true, smile appears on his lips. Then he looks closely at Remus.

"Are you all right? You look awfully tired."

Remus shakes himself out of the daydreamy state with which he was watching the snow fall. "What? Oh, I'm fine. I just- y'know- I didn't get enough sleep over the holiday."

"Too much partying, eh, Remus?" a male voice asks. James claps Remus on the shoulder.

Remus nods quickly. "Yeah."

The bell chimes for the second time. I pick up my books off of the windowsill. "Come on, we'll be late for Transfiguration."

We make it into the classroom just as the bell chimes for the third time.

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><p>Alice and I walk into the Great Hall for lunch. The ceiling inside matches the sky outside - white and gray, and magical snowflakes fall from the clouds.<p>

A black and gray owl flies into the Great Hall.

"That's odd," Alice says, "Mail comes at breakfast."

"I wonder what the letter is."

The owl circles above the Gryffindor table before dropping the letter - to _me_.

"Ooh, what is it, Lily?" Marlee asks.

"I don't have any idea," I tell her, then open the envelope. I start to laugh. "You're right, Alice, this _is _odd. It's from Petunia!"

_Dear Lily,_

_I'd say that I hope this letter finds you well, but I don't really care that much._

_I'm letting you know that I'm moving your junk to the storage closet beneath the staircase. It's taking up space in our room, and, as you're not here all the time anymore, there's really no point in having it here._

_Mummy is insisting that I help take care of your kitten while you're away. I hope you appreciate that._

_Are there attractive boys at Hogwarts?_

_~Petunia_

I am unable to stop laughing, and Alice looks at me questioningly. I wordlessly hand the letter to her, and watch as she begins to laugh, too.

"So she sends you a letter to complain about the legacy you've left upon the house, but then finishes by asking whether there are attractive boys here?" Alice passes the letter to Marlee.

"Dang, Lily, you should be proud of those rat tails."

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><p>The next morning, Remus is nowhere to be found. Usually we would walk to breakfast together before Transfiguration, but this morning he isn't waiting for me in the common room. Thinking that perhaps he overslept, I decide to wait for him by the exit. James spots me and walks over.<p>

_Oh, joy, _I think.

"Hey, Evans," he greets me as he usually does. "What're you doing?"

For some reason, I decide to tell him the truth. "I'm waiting for Remus. Have you seen him?"

His eyes cloud. "As a matter of fact, I haven't. He wasn't in the dorm this morning. Hey, Sirius," he calls. Sirius joins us by the exit. "Have you seen Remus? He appears to be missing."

Sirius shakes his head. "No." He grins slyly at me. "But maybe he and Evans were canoodling last night, eh, Evans?"

I roll my eyes. "Really, Black? I would've thought that that was _your _thing."

His face turns red. James, however, laughs. Assuming that he's poking fun at me, I leave the common room.

_Don't get all embarrassed, Lily,_ I tell myself, _It's just Potter. He's just trying to make you feel like an idiot. Like usual. Perhaps you can write to Petunia about him and tell her that he's one of those attractive boys. And then Petunia and James will end up married and you can stay with Mummy and Daddy and-_

"Lily! Wait!"

I spin around. It's James.

He catches up to me, all out of breath. "Where are you going?"

"Breakfast. Alone. I don't need to have you laughing at me."

"Laughing at you? Oh." We stop walking. "I was laughing at what you said to Sirius! Not at _you_."

"Oh."

Was this almost an apology?

He looks me in the eyes. "You know," he says shyly, "That was a really good comeback. Could I use it sometime?"

I smile.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I worked a little harder on it.<strong>

**Review!**

**~cphfairies**


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